Running Away
by Caliente
Summary: one-shot vignette with a pretty self-explanatory title –– 'This time I'm gonna do it,' she told herself. 'Escape forever.' She smirked. 'Never return. Start a new life. Be free.' –– minor Rogue/Gambit hints and a bit of Jean bashing


**Author's Note**: One shot mini-fic about Rogue. Just a little something random I came up with. Some sorta Romy and Jean hating. Nothing new. Just wanted to get some stuff off my chest. Might continue if the spirit moves me… who knows? Hope ya like it.

**Running Away**

by, Caliente

Calmly entering her room, she walked over to her bed against the wall and sat down in a daze. Closing her eyes and putting her hands to her head, she massaged her temples. 'This time I'm gonna do it,' she told herself. 'Escape forever.' She smirked. 'Never return. Start a new life. Be free.' Her face fell. 'No I won't. I never do.' Sighing, she continued her contemplating, 'What am I? Just another poor little mutie.' _Poor little mutie_ echoed through her mind, over and over again. Suddenly her eyes snapped open. 'I can do it! And I will.' She bounced up and grabbed her large black duffel bag. She shuffled through her things, silently making a list. 'Let's see. Combat boots? Check. Other Boots? Yep. A few long sleeved shirts? There they are. A bunch of tanks and sheer shirts? Got 'em. Skirts with stockings? Done and done. My personal fav, jeans… of, course. What am I forgetting… oh, duh.' She smacked herself. 'Underwear, bras, and gloves! Bare necessities' Chuckling slightly she grabbed them and stuffed them in too. As an afterthought, she tossed in sweat pants and a tank top for pajamas. 'Oh, favorite sweater? Uhh… found it! Probably should add a jacket for good measure.' Grabbing a backpack, she stuffed it with her favorite books, her CD player with some CDs, and some makeup. 'Need something. Toiletries!' Grabbing her bathroom necessities, she stuck those in the backpack as well. Hurriedly she dressed herself in a pair of black jeans with holes in the knee, her purple long sleeve tie shirt over a navy tank top, and Converse tennis shoes. As an afterthought, she pulled on her usual gloves. She gently ran a hand through her plain brown hair with a striking white streak, inspecting her reflection. Pale skin, piercing grey-green eyes, soft pink lips covered with purple make-up. She would have been considered pretty if she smiled a genuine smile once in a while, instead of the perpetual frown that graced her features. She hid her two bags in her closet, deciding to wait until the house was empty to make her escape.

Grabbing her homework and messenger bag, she glanced at the clock. 8:12. 'Great,' she chided herself, 'I'm gonna be late. Nothing out of character there.' Yelling a good-bye to the instructors, she bolted out of the house. 'What day is it today?' she quizzed herself. 'Thursday, right. English first. Should be interesting.' Sprinting down the street, the seventeen year old briefly wondered why she didn't just get her license. ''Cause you're too pig headed and lazy to actually do it,' she reminded herself. 'And every day you regret it.' She skipped through the break in the fence and skidded into the building that housed her first class. Panting slightly, she opened her door and stumbled inside the overheated room. 'It's spring, it doesn't have to be 90 degrees indoors,' she thought with a small eye roll.

"Ah, Ms. Rogue. Nice of you to join us," the teacher, a greasy haired man in his early 50s, commented dryly.

"Sorry Mr. Simpson," she mumbled in response. "Won't happen again."

"Funny, _chere, dat's what y'said last week," Remy quipped with a big grin. His groupies giggled at his wit. "An' de week before, an' de week before, an'…"_

"We get it," the Southerner snapped with an angry scowl. "An' yer not funny. Or cute. The only reason you're popular is 'cause ya have a big di–"

"Ms. Rogue!" the teacher scolded.

"Or so Ah've heard," Rogue finished. "Though looking at ya, Ah wouldn't believe it." Smirking, she walked to her seat in the corner. She could feel his glare bore into her back, and she knew he would retaliate but she could care less. Soon she would be free.

"Like, what the hell was that Rogue?" a short brunette asked her, trying to hold her laughter in. "He's, totally, gonna be pissed at you now." She studied her friend carefully. "And it's not like you to make waves. You usually have a sarcastic comment or twelve," Rogue shot her a look but she ignored her, "but you, like, aren't usually so brash."

"Who cares Kitty?" Rogue replied with a raised eyebrow. "It'll be fine. Trust me." She winked for effect.

"You're crazy," Kitty responded. "But hey, it's, like, your funeral."

"Ms. Pryde?" the teacher called from the front of the room. "Is there something you want to share with the class?"

"No, sir," Kitty answered, suppressing grin.

"Then please pay attention, Ms. Pryde," Mr. Simpson commanded, withholding a sigh. 'Hate this job, only three more years to retirement,' he thought bitterly. 'Three long years.'

Class seemed to fly by. Rogue paid little attention, making internal plans. 'Okay, I can get the money out of my bank account so they won't be able to trace me. And I have cash saved up. Hmm… what else?' She paused, contemplating her plans and watching her class interacting. 'Kitty and Piotr totally like each other. Somebody should set them up.' Rogue slapped herself on the forehead as she had an epiphany. 'What are you saying? You're leaving, you can enlighten them!' When the bell rang, Rogue grabbed Kitty's arm, holding her back. The classroom emptied quickly, leaving the two of them pretty much alone. "Ya like him," she told the smaller Asian girl bluntly.

"Who? What?" Kitty sighed, rubbing her head gently. "What are you talking about?" she asked in a long-suffering voice.

"Piotr," was the simple reply. Grinning wickedly, the Southerner continued, "An' he likes ya too."

A faint blush lit Kitty's cheeks, and she averted her eyes. "I, like, don't know what you're talking about," she mumbled as her face continued turning pink.

"Maybe not…" Rogue pointed to the door where Piotr stood, "Or maybe ya do." She directed her voice to Piotr, "Forget somethin', sugah?" She lifted up his wallet, which she had picked before the bell rang. "Maybe this?" She winked at Kitty as she tossed her the wallet. Grabbing her bag she called over her shoulder, "Ah'll leave you two alone. Ya got stuff to talk about." Rogue smiled to herself and checked her watch. 9:32. 'Next class in 8 minutes, but the instructors should be gone by now… I can double back to the institute, gather my stuff, and–' Rogue's thoughts were interrupted when a hand shot out and grabbed her arm, pulling her into an empty classroom. She was pulled into somebody's chest, and Rogue stumbled back in surprise. The person's other arm wrapped around her waist to hold her up.

"That stunt you pulled in class wasn' very nice, _chere_," a deep voice told her.

"Who ever said Ah was nice Swamp Rat?" Rogue scoffed at him. "Not that Ah care what ya think."

"Y'should," Remy told her. "I run dis school, _p'tite_. I can make yo' life hell."

"Ah guess it's lucky for me that Ah won't be here much longer then, huh Cajun?" she shot back. He looked confused and Rogue mentally berated herself for letting her plans slip to him. "Never mind Remy. Listen, think ya could let me go? Ah got places to be…"

"What are you hiding?" the Acadian questioned, tightening his grip on her slightly.

Rogue assessed the situation carefully. 'Okay. I'm pinned to the body of somebody I hate. I have to get out of here!' Remembering the James Bond movie she had watched the night before, Rogue smiled seductively. This only confused Remy more. He couldn't figure out what was up with this girl. Rogue leaned closer and whispered huskily, "It's not what Ah'm hidin', sugah. It's what you're hidin'." To emphasize her point, she reached down and squeezed. Remy jumped back with surprise and Rogue laughed. Then she reached up, wrapping her arms behind his neck, pulling his face down to hers. Rogue gave him a deep kiss, letting her powers pull just for a moment, then let go. Smiling slightly, she patted his cheek. "_Au revior M'sieu _LeBeau." Remy could only watch, catching his breath, as Rogue sauntered out of the room smirking.

"What the fuck was that Rogue?" a low voice hissed at Rogue as soon as she reentered the hallway.

Rogue turned toward the source of the voice and grimaced inwardly. "Why does everybody keep sayin' that to me?" she wondered idly as she approached the popular girl who had addressed her. "Can Ah help ya Jeannie?"

"It's Jean," the red head sniffed, nose turned up slightly. "And did I just see you kiss Remy?"

"Don't see how that's any of yer business," the younger girl replied, feeling incredibly plain against the Homecoming queen wannabe. "But yeah, Ah did. Got a problem with it?" Rogue raised an eyebrow, daring the other girl to respond.

"Never knew you could be such a slut," Jean spat back.

Rogue laughed at the audacity of her statement. "An' ya would know, right?" She turned and walked away, still laughing at Liz's stupidity. ' Stupid prep, won't miss her,' she thought. 'Won't miss hardly anybody in this place.' She was almost off campus when she caught sight of one person she would miss. Making a bee-line for her friend, she wrapped him in a large hug.

Kurt Wagner was talking with Evan and Pete when he was suddenly hit by a brown and white haired blur. "Whoa Rogue. Vat's up?" Rogue continued to hug him tightly, not saying a word. Kurt was confused and concerned when she didn't answer. Or the type of person to initiate physical contact. "Rogue… is everything okay?"

Tears were beginning to sting Rogue's eyes, but she just continued to cling to her foster brother. She sniffed slightly before answering. "No, but it will be." She looked into her brother's holographic eyes. 

"Ah'm gonna miss ya blue boy," she whispered, still trying to hold her tears back.

"Vat're you talking about?" Kurt was growing more concerned by the minute. Something was wrong with his best friend.

"Bloody 'ell," Pete muttered in his strong English accent. "The bird's gone crazy."

"Fo' sho'," Evan agreed. "But it wasn't a long trip, man." Both boys were laughing as Kurt continued hugging the girl in his arms.

"Ah gotta go, Kurt," she told him, suddenly pulling away and looking down.

"You sure?" Kurt inquired. Rogue nodded without raising her eyes. Still reluctant, Kurt offered a small smile. "Okay then. See you later."

"Later. Right," Rogue echoed. "Bye." 'I'll miss you,' she added silently. 'More than you'll ever know. I do consider you my brother. And my friend.' Making her way out of the schoolyard quickly, Rogue briefly thanked her lucky stars that her school had an open campus. She raced home, going over her mental checklist once again. 'Clothing? Check. Toiletries? Check. Makeup? Check. Books? Check. Money? Cash, check. Need to go to bank and withdraw the rest. Destination?' That's when it hit her. She had no clue where she was going to go. 'Fuck. Fuck. Fuck. Fuck. Fuck,' she repeated over and over in her mind. 'Where can I go? Who would help me without turning me in?' One name came to mind. 'Betsy. Bingo. She'll help me out. And the 'rents would never expect it.' Feeling relieved, Rogue continued on her journey home. When she arrived, she was greeted only Lockheed, Kitty's pet dragon. 'Yes! The instructors are out. Thank god.' Rogue ran downstairs and grabbed her things. Shouldering the duffel bag and putting the backpack on her back, she carried them out to the X-Jeep. 'Piece of crap car,' she thought as she kicked a tire. 'Ugly too.' Tossing her bags and a pillow in the backseat, she headed back inside. She dug through her belongings and found her cell. 'Gotta leave you behind,' she told herself sadly. 'Can't have anybody tracking my calls.' Using the phone, she dialed Betsy's number, knowing that she wasn't in school because of the time change. 'Ring, ring, ring…' she kept count in her head.

"Hello?" Betsy's sleepy voice filled her ears. Rogue had never been so happy to hear anybody in her entire life.

"Bets? It's me," Rogue's casual tone betrayed her nerves.

"Rogue? I was napping. Why are you calling me?" The sleepiness was slowly leaving Betsy's voice, replaced by her light English accent.

"Ah want out," was all Rogue could say.

"Huh? This isn't the time for games, luv." The sleepiness was gone, replace by annoyance and confusion.

Rogue braced herself and bit the bullet. "Ah'm leaving the institute. Ah need somewhere ta go. Can ya help me out?"

"Wait, wait. Hold the phones. You're running?! Why?" Shock now replaced the confusion. Betsy's head was spinning. One of her oldest and dearest friends was scaring her.

"Ah'll explain when Ah get there. That is… if Ah can come." Rogue held her breath and prayed she agreed.

Betsy took a moment to process before responding. "Of course you can. I mean, what kind of friend would I be if I didn't offer my help?" Rogue let out a sigh. "But you can't stay here. My parents would turn you in."

'Damn,' Rogue realized she was right. "Ah know. Ah just need ta be picked up from the train station. Ah can call ya from a pay phone ta tell ya when." ''Cause I can't take my cell phone with me. Oh how I'll miss you,' she told the inanimate object.

Betsy nodded before remembering she was on a phone. "Okay."

"And, uh, Ah need yer help getting a new identity," Rogue said nervously. She sped up her speck as she continued. "Ya know, a drives license an' social security number so Ah can get a job. Maybe we could add a couple years to my age too."

"That's shouldn't be too difficult," Betsy commented thoughtfully. "I still have pull with S.T.R.I.K.E."

Another sigh of relief from Rogue. "Great. Oh, but F.Y.I., Ah'm gonna be dyin' my hair completely brown an' puttin' in blue color contacts. So Ah'll look different. So could ya make sure my Ids an' stuff match?"

"Of course," Betsy assured her.

"Also, could ya please ask yer friends if any o' them have a couch Ah can crash on? Tell them Ah can pay them, in cash, if they need me too. But Ah have limited resources until Ah can get a job. Though ya should probly warn them that there won't be any foolin' around," Rogue added sarcastically.

Betsy rolled her eyes. "Don't even joke about that kinda stuff. Are you really serious about coming?"

"Yes," Rogue answered instantly. "Ah'm drivin' ta the bank an' then the train station after we're done talkin'. Ah'll take the train ta the airport an' then fly ta London."

"Driving. They can track the car you know," Betsy warned her friend. "And since when do you have a license?"

"Ah know they'll find the car, but they won't know where Ah went. Ya don't have ta give a name ta buy a train ticket. At least, not for this trip. Plus, by the time they find my flight, Ah'll have a new identity. An' the Professor can't track me 'less Ah use my powers," Rogue assured Betsy as much as herself. "An' Ah have the ability ta drive… just not legally. What's the big deal? Ah'm running away, Ah obviously don't care that much about playin' by the rules."

"Okay, geez. I was just asking," Betsy responded defensively. "Just call me when you arrive, and I'll come get you. If none of my friends can help you out, what are you gonna do?"

"Motel Ah guess," Rogue shrugged.

Betsy sighed at her friend's determination. "All right. I know there's no arguing with you."

Letting out a small laugh, Rogue commented dryly, "Ah, so ya have learned somethin'."

"Very funny. I'll see you tonight, luv," Betsy told her curtly.

"Bye," Rogue said sarcastically when she heard the dial tone. 'Okay, destination? Check. What's left? You just have to go.' Rogue dropped her phone on her bed and looked around. "Have ta go…" she whispered, surprised to hear how desperate the words sounded to her own ears. She headed to the kitchen and packed some food and snacks to keep herself from starving on the ride. Grabbing a few water bottles, she made sure she had everything. 'I guess that's it…' she thought surprised that she was actually doing it. Ready to leave this life behind, she hugged Lockheed and gave him a small kiss. "Ah'm actually gonna miss ya," she told him in a soft voice. "'Bye Lockheed. Take good care o' Kitty. Kurt too." He watched her with attentive eyes, wondering what his master's roommate was doing. She waved to him as she walked out the door for what she hoped was the last time. "My home," she murmured, gazing up at the institute she had considered her home, and the occupants her family. Shaking her head she corrected herself. "It was my home. Not anymore. Ah'm free." A genuine smile made it's way on Rogue's face as she hopped into the X-Jeep and drove out the driveway. "Ah'm free."

Just something random I cooked up. F.Y.I. - Betsy is Elisabeth Braddock and Pete is Pete Wisdom from the comics. I'm curious what people think!! So, please, Please, PlEaSe, PLEASE review!! Love to all that read. Adios.


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